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Texas A&M cancels conference trip excluding White and Asian students after governor backlash

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Texas A&M cancels conference trip excluding White and Asian students after governor backlash

Texas A&M University pulled the brakes on an upcoming conference trip after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott discovered that only applicants of a particular race could attend.

On Monday, conservative activist Christopher Rufo posted an image of the university promoting the PhD Project’s Annual Conference in Chicago. The application specified that the conference is “designed for historically underrepresented individuals considering business doctorial studies,” and only Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic American or Native American/Canadian Indigenous students were eligible.

“Texas A&M is sponsoring a trip to a DEI conference that prohibits whites and Asians from attending. The university falsely claims that this use of taxpayer funds does not violate the state’s DEI ban. @TAMU is supporting racial segregation and breaking the law,” Rufo wrote.

The post eventually caught Abbott’s eye late Monday, leading him to threaten the job security of the university’s president if the matter was not corrected.

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“Hell, no. It’s against Texas law and violates the US Constitution. It will be fixed immediately or the president will soon be gone,” Abbott warned.

The university eventually put out a statement on its X account, reiterating that it does not discriminate based on race in compliance with SB-17, a state law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion offices in Texas public colleges.

“Texas A&M does not support any organization, conference, process or activity that excludes people based on race, creed, gender, age or any other discriminating factor. The intent of SB-17 is very clear in that regard. We will continue to honor both the letter and the intent of the law,” the post read.

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, university President Mark A. Welsh III acknowledged the application in question and conceded the conference itself was “not in line” with the state’s law, canceling the trip altogether.

“While the proper process for reviewing and approving attendance at such events was followed, I don’t believe we fully considered the spirit of our state law in making the initial decision to participate,” the statement read. “This particular conference’s limitations on the acceptable race of attendees is not in line with the intent of SB-17, and, as a result, we will not be sending anyone to participate in this conference.”

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NEARLY HALF OF ALL US COLLEGE STUDENTS REJECT MANDATORY DEI COURSES ON CAMPUS: STUDY

Welsh continued, “Texas A&M faculty and staff attend hundreds, if not thousands, of conferences and other events during the course of each academic year. We need to be sure that attendance at those events is aligned with the very clear guidance we’ve been given by our governing bodies.”

The statement was sent to staff and faculty at the Mays Business School.

Texas A&M responded to Gov. Abbott’s threat by canceling an upcoming conference trip. (Ronda Churchill/Bloomberg via Getty Images | Photo by Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital also reached out to the governor’s office for a comment.

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The PhD Project Annual Conference has been set up by the Pathways to Research and Doctoral Careers (PREDOC) consortium and will be held in March. PREDOC’s website described the application process as “exclusive” and “designed for historically underrepresented individuals considering business doctoral studies.”

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Los Angeles, Ca

Watch Project Angel Food's 'Lead with Love' telethon on KTLA

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Watch Project Angel Food's 'Lead with Love' telethon on KTLA

The star-studded feel-good giveback event of the summer has returned. KTLA 5 is teaming up once again with Project Angel Food for the annual “Lead with Love: Going the Distance” telethon to raise critical funds for medically tailored meals delivered to people living with serious illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. The seventh annual telethon airs […]

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Los Angeles, Ca

Woman ambushed, violently attacked by robber in downtown Long Beach

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Woman ambushed, violently attacked by robber in downtown Long Beach

A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]

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Los Angeles, Ca

Jury says it is deadlocked in trial of man accused in Palisades Fire

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Jury says it is deadlocked in trial of man accused in Palisades Fire

Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.

A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.

Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.

  • A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025.
  • Palisades Fire Suspect

Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.

“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”

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The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.

Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.

“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.

Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.

Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report

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